Electrical Components

The Electrical Components Blog is the place for conversation and discussion about power generation, distribution and protection; connectors and relays; sensors, RFID & passive components; and magnetics and transformers. Here, you'll find everything from application ideas, to news and industry trends, to hot topics and cutting edge innovations.

The near field communications (NFC) ecosystem and associated services expands beyond just payments. NFC enables simplified data exchange, pairing, and wireless connections between two objects when in close proximity to one another. Unlike preceding RFID technology, NFC was designed for applications that require higher levels of security and where larger amounts of data may be exchanged.

Some of the latest NFC tag ICs are considered ‘dynamic.’ Dynamic tag ICs are chips that can communicate two ways: either via the RF interface or a serial port. The dynamic NFC tag chip allows for battery-free operation in RF mode.

One example of a modern NFC tag IC is the ST25DV from STMicroelectronics. It has 4, 16, or 64 Kbits of EEPROM and connects via either the RF interface or its I2C port for a microprocessor connection.

A product equipped with the ST25DV can be tracked on the production floor with no worry about a barcode that might be damaged or dirty. The product being manufactured can be customized to one of several versions with a simple tap of an NFC equipped cell phone, tablet, or card.

Furthermore, thanks to the ST25DV’s ISO 15693 compatibility, long-range operations can be supported as well. The chip combines analog and digital functions and has an analog front end that connects to an external antenna, plus an internal 28.5 pf tuning capacitor.

An optical fingerprint sensor integrates an OLED microdisplay as a light source on a microchip along with photodiodes. With the technology developed at Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology, Germany, objects can be illuminated as the reflected light is detected and analyzed.

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L-com Global Connectivity has launched a line of X-coded M12 cable assemblies designed to withstand harsh environments for industrial applications. The cables can be used for industrial control, machine vision, sensors and actuators, test equipment, and industrial Ethernet networks.

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The Audible Medical Alarms from Mallory Sonalert's broad product line are used in almost every type of medical application, from consumer handheld meters to infant monitors. Audible medical alarms are now IEC60601-1-8 approved for drug dispensers, defibrillators, dialysis, and more.

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A commercial version of Vishay's Automotive Grade IHLE series of low-profile, high current inductors integrate e-shields to reduce EMI. By eliminating the need for expensive board-level Faraday shielding to lower EMI, the devices reduce costs and save board space.

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